Part 12 (2/2)

44. _Prison Report for '71._ I had looked for a pretty free use of whitewash in this, but it goes immeasurably beyond my antic.i.p.ations. I really expected to find some regard for truthfulness in the statement of facts. But, in my astonishment at reading, I would inquire, ”Have I fallen into a general confusion of names? Is black indeed white?”

Let us read, p. 13,--”He [the warden] ... spends his whole time in and about the inst.i.tution, not having been absent to the value of half a day since he entered upon his duties.”

Thus we have it. Sum up the time spent by the warden during the year in going to the P. O., or in calls out on business, or errands, or attending meeting on the Sabbath, or journeying to New York even, and the whole does not amount to ”the value of half a day.” This prepares us for any statement we may find. If we admit that, we can anything.

Let us, then, look at the food question.

On page 6. we have,--”The food furnished the prisoners has been selected with more than ordinary care and great pains have been taken in having it well cooked and served. We have a regular weight from which the rations are made, and any man, wis.h.i.+ng for more than the regular allowance, is always furnished with an extra quant.i.ty.” P. 13,--”The warden is not only valuable as a disciplinarian but is economical in his management of the affairs of the prison, at the same time allowing to the prisoners liberal rations of food of the best quality, but none to waste.”

This can be admitted just as easily as the quotation preceding. How rejoiced the prisoners would have been to realize the truthfulness of this a.s.sertion one short week,--”Selected with more than ordinary care!”

”Regular weight!” ”Liberal rations of food of the best quality!” That will do,--decaying fish, potatoes ”not fit to put into the human stomach,” and all.

But when the Report comes to the chaplain it uses a black wash with quite as unsparing a hand, thus, (P. 13) ”But the warden has not had that sympathy and a.s.sistance from the chaplain, which should be mutually rendered to each other by officers of the prison. The chaplain, for reasons best known to himself, has not acted in harmony with the warden in the discharge of his various duties, a matter very essential to the discipline of a prison. He has on the other hand, manifested peculiarities of his own which have been very detrimental to the discipline, and, we have reason to believe, have caused some uneasiness among the prisoners, which has made it more difficult for the warden, and, in some instances, causing punishment which would otherwise have been avoided.”

But let us read what the warden says (P. 9),--”In conclusion, I desire to express my thanks to all the officers connected with the inst.i.tution, for the prompt, cheerful and efficient manner in which they have discharged their several duties.”

The chaplain was one of those officers. What, then, shall we believe?

Who tells the truth? What has become of straightforward dealing? Where is that trait once called honor among men? The reader, having fully informed himself of the real facts, will p.r.o.nounce the above charge against the chaplain as unqualifiedly untrue from beginning to end.

But one says, ”That first a.s.sertion must be true. The warden could not have shared your sympathy in his acts.” No, that first a.s.sertion is not true. It is equally false with all the rest, that is, in the sense of the writer, which evidently is that the chaplain did not sympathize with the warden in his desires for order, and labor with him to that end.

Order is the first thing to be sought in prison as everywhere else. It has my fullest sympathy and for the very purpose of helping towards it, under this warden, I voluntarily undertook what I did.

”The warden has not had that a.s.sistance from the chaplain,” &c. The reader has seen the chaplain putting in a pacific word here and there, doing all he could to interest the mind in its privations, helping men keep down their angry pa.s.sions, robbing the solitary of its occupants, excusing, entreating, helping to order in every way possible, and is held up in that light.

”Not acted in harmony.” Not a discordant word or step is the truth.

”Manifested peculiarities of his own.” Peculiarities! What were they?

Honest devotion to duty and not an eye to personal popularity; most arduous toils engaged in for helping to the best interest of the prison; patient efforts for reforming and elevating the fallen. All I said or did there would come within some of these points. Were those peculiarities? What then must be the character of the prison management?

If the chaplain's moves were held as peculiarities it could have been only from contrasting the animus and acts of those who ruled with his.

They would hold the prisoners as so many ”dumb, driven cattle;” he, as human beings, with instincts of reason to be addressed and emotions of right to be stirred; they, in all cases, would move their brute fears, threaten, scold, drive; he, a part of the time at least, would appeal to the manhood sentiments, persuade, entreat, expostulate; they would regard them as morally hopeless, to be cruelly treated, and made money of; he, as those for whom hope lives, and on whom redeeming influences should be used, and efforts made for coining from them gold purer than earth affords.

Nor are these moves of the chaplain peculiarities in many other States, if in N. H. Nor are they original with him. Other minds had brought out such ideas and pushed them somewhat widely into public acceptance, and he was only attempting to introduce something of their benign influence here.

”Detrimental to discipline.” What gross darkness!

”Made it more difficult for the warden.” Change ”difficult” to ”easy”

and the truth would be told.

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